Telangana rains: A ‘flood’ of heroes who rose to occasion to save lives

HYDERABAD: In the movie '2018', the Malayalam movie which encapsulated the horrors of Kerala Floods, the protagonist Anoop, played by Tevino Thomas, jumped off a boat to save a blind man who was drowning. While he succeeded in his effort, Anoop himself was unlucky as his legs get entangled in the debris, leading to his death. The final scene of the movie depicted the village paying tribute to Anoop in the village memorial and called him a brave soldier.

The floods this week in Telangana, luckily might not have been as horrid as in Kerala a few years ago, but there was no dearth of heroes who worked relentlessly to ensure that there was no heavy loss to lives due to rains that lashed the State continuously over the last one week.

Telangana Government departments have earned immense appreciation from the public for their commendable efforts in tackling the challenges posed by heavy rains in various parts of the State. Twitter has been buzzing with heartfelt messages thanking the various departments for their dedication and hard work. From the State Director General of Police (DGP) to the Hyderabad Traffic Police, from the Disaster Response Force (DRF) to the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC), the Government departments have all been praised for their tireless efforts in ensuring the safety and convenience of citizens during the monsoon season.In one of the cases, DGP Anjani Kumar shared how the Warangal Police rescued 50 people trapped in floods and moved them to safer places by responded promptly. The DGP also shared a tweet and called a cop his hero who was trying to clear water logging on the road so that commuters could travel without any hassle.

In Hyderabad, the traffic police had been at the forefront of managing not just commuters but also helping other department personnel amidst heavy rains. The Saifabad Traffic Police filled potholes at Khairatabad Metro Station with dust to ensure obstruction-less traffic flow, and the Amberpet Traffic Police cleared waterlogging by removing clogs on Moosarambagh Bridge, ensuring smooth flow of vehicles.

Many Twitter users acknowledged the Hyderabad Traffic Police's commendable work and efficient traffic management, even during adverse weather conditions.It's not just the police. The GHMC, along with its Disaster Response Force (DRF) teams, actively responded to water stagnation complaints and uprooted trees. Teams were on the field, clearing waterlogged areas and ensuring the safety of citizens. The GHMC also provided emergency helpline numbers to the public to seek assistance during the heavy downpour.

Stephen Ravindra’s special effort on traffic

Commissioner of Cyberabad Police Stephen Ravindra deserves a special commendation. The traffic management in Cyberabad is very tricky what with lakhs of IT employees go into Cyberabad and travel back home every day.

Consider most of the (at least 80 percent) of the 9 lakh IT employees and three times the number of those in indirect jobs crowd the Cyberabad area. The first day of heavy rain wreaked havoc. The Cyberabad area was gridlocked and traffic came to a grinding halt all over. Life has come to a standstill.

It’s then, Commissioner Stephen Ravindra swung into action amid heavy rain. With meticulous planning and perfect deployment of traffic cops, set the traffic right within hours. And, the plan became a blueprint and it continues.

With much less number of traffic police and disproportionately high numbers of vehicles, Cyberabad commissionerate’s traffic management is in itself a Herculean task, while the other major focus areas of function of the police like law and order, crime work, etc are anyway being handled.

Municipal and Urban Development Minister KT Rama Rao along with senior officials, personally inspected affected areas and coordinating relief efforts in an around Hussain Sagar. Citizens expressed gratitude for the prompt response and efficient actions of the DRF teams and GHMC personnel.

Elsewhere in the State, Warangal Police Commissioner AV Ranganath, along with officials, too received a pat on the back after they inspected several rain-hit areas in the city and reviewed the situation.But there were two instances, where officials had to push their limits to rescue lives. The first was in Mulugu district where despite heavy rainfall, visitors ignored police warnings and walked six kilometers into a dense forest. While returning, one of the streams started overflowing and they got stranded in the evening. The police, NDRF and DRF then formed five teams to rescue over 80 lives. The operation lasted for over 8 hours.

In Jayashankar Bhupalpally district, the entire Moranchapalli village was marooned due to continous floodwater pouding the area. Two Indian Air Force helicopters, NDRF and fire services personnel swung into action and rescued 1,900 people and shifted them to safer places.

The Indian Air Force too earned laurels as helicopters from Hakimpet Air Force Station dropped around 600 kg of food packets to provide succour to the marooned residents of Kondai Village in Warangal. The packets included relief material contributed by Air Force Family Welfare Association.A few unsung heroes too caught the eye of social media. In one instance, an electricity department official, identified as Koppula Santosh, was seen wading through a stream to restore electricity in Patharlapahad village of Suryapet disrict.

The floods might have tested the resolve of Telangana, but they also revealed the indomitable spirit of its Government personnel. Officials from various departments were the heroes of the hour, and their actions during those trying times would forever be remembered as a beacon of hope and courage in the face of adversity. The proactive approach of officials won admiration from the public and reinforced their confidence in the Government's ability to manage crisis effectively.

Research Input: Raja Akula